Nepodin has antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory activities, it shows significant cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity. Nepodin has an antidiabetic effect, which is at least partly mediated by stimulation of GLUT4 translocation via AMPK activation by n

To obtain a novel modulator of glucose metabolism, we conducted screening of a small compound library in cultured L6 myotubes. We identified Nepodin that stimulated glucose uptake dose-dependently in differentiated L6 myotubes. The stimulatory effect of Nepodin on glucose uptake was abrogated by a 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor. In addition, Nepodin stimulated the phosphorylation of AMPK. Nepodin also stimulated the translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane in L6 myoblasts transfected with a Glut4 cDNA-coding vector and in differentiated L6 myotubes. In in vivo study, Nepodin suppressed the increases in fasting blood glucose levels and improved the glucose intolerance of C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice, a type 2 diabetic animal model. Nepodin rescued the impaired phosphorylation of AMPK in the skeletal muscle of db/db mice[1]